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Hops

Traditionally used for: Sleep difficulties; Anxiety and restlessness; Menopausal hot flashes. Primarily used to ease anxiety, improve sleep quality.

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What is hops? Hops is a flowering plant that is widely cultivated for its use in brewing beer. The dried flowers, also known as cones, are used to add flavor, aroma, and bitterness to beer. Hops contain compounds that have medicinal properties and have been used for centuries for their therapeutic benefits. How does it work? Hops contain compounds such as alpha-acids, beta-acids, and volatile oils, which have sedative, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. These compounds help to promote relaxation, improve sleep quality, and reduce anxiety. What are the active ingredients that are important for its medicinal properties? The active ingredients in hops include humulone and lupulone, which are alpha-acids, and xanthohumol, a flavonoid found in hops. These compounds have been shown to have sedative, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory effects. What forms does it come in? Hops are commonly available in the form of dried flowers, extract, tincture, oil, and capsule. When was it first used for medicinal purposes? The use of hops for medicinal purposes dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was used to treat a variety of health conditions, including digestive problems, skin infections, and insomnia.

Helps

What does Hops help with? Hops are the dried flower cones of the hop plant. Most people know them from beer. In Europe, herbalists have long used them as a calming, sleep-friendly herb. The strongest human research is on sleep, and most of it tested hops together with valerian. A few small clinical studies looked at hops extract for menopause symptoms. For the other uses, the evidence is thin or rests on tradition alone. Trouble falling asleep and poor sleep quality Good evidence — human randomised trials, mostly of hops combined with valerian. Hops are among the better-studied herbal sleep aids. In these trials, people taking hops with valerian fell asleep faster and rated their sleep as better. They also reported little of the next-day grogginess that often comes with prescription sleep drugs. Evidence grade B · Traditional tier T2 Hot flashes during menopause Early evidence — small clinical studies of hops extract in menopausal women. Hops contain a compound called 8-prenylnaringenin. It is one of the strongest plant estrogen-like compounds found in nature. In these small studies, women taking hops extract reported fewer and milder hot flashes. Evidence grade C · Traditional tier T2 Night sweats that wake you up Early evidence — findings from the same small hops extract studies in menopausal women. Night sweats often travel with hot flashes. In clinical studies of hops extract, women reported less nighttime sweating and less broken sleep. The estrogen-like activity behind this has been shown mainly in lab work. Evidence grade C · Traditional tier T2 Sleep problems from shift work Early evidence — one small clinical study of a valerian-hops combination in shift workers. This study looked at people whose work hours fight their body clock. They took valerian combined with hops. Sleep quality and daytime alertness both improved. Evidence grade C · Traditional tier T2 Mild low mood and irritability around menopause Long traditional use · not yet tested in trials — a few small studies in menopausal women, where mood was not the main measure. Some research points to less low mood and irritability in women taking hops. These were side findings within hot flash studies. The numbers are small and the results are mixed. Evidence grade D · Traditional tier T2 Everyday anxiety and feeling wired but tired Long traditional use · not yet tested in trials — lab work on brain chemistry plus small studies of combination products. In lab studies, hops acted on the brain's own calming chemistry. Human evidence for everyday anxiety is thin and comes mostly from products that also contain valerian. Any effect described so far is mild, and hops is not habit-forming. Evidence grade D · Traditional tier T2 Winding down after a stressful day Long traditional use · not yet tested in trials — traditional Western herbal use; no human trial on file for stress alone. Herbalists have long given hops in the evening to help people settle. Users describe a calmer mental state and an easier slide into rest. No study on file has tested hops for stress on its own. Evidence grade insufficient · Traditional tier T2 Bloating, cramping and slow digestion Long traditional use · not yet tested in trials — traditional use and the known action of bitter herbs; no human trials on file. Hops taste bitter. Bitter herbs are thought to trigger digestive juices in the stomach and gut, and a whole family of herbal tonics rests on this idea. Human trials of hops for bloating or cramping are not on file. Evidence grade insufficient · Traditional tier T2 What Hops has not been shown to do Hops on its own has not been shown to give the sleep results seen in the trials, because most of those trials tested hops together with valerian. Hops has not been shown to treat depression or a diagnosed anxiety disorder; the mood findings covered mild, passing low mood only. Hops has not been shown to match hormone therapy for menopause symptoms, since no study on file compared the two head to

Hops

Hops

Quick Facts

  • What it is: The dried flower cones of the hop plant, best known as a beer ingredient but long used in herbal medicine as a calming and sleep-supporting herb.
  • Main uses: Primarily used to ease anxiety, improve sleep quality, and reduce restlessness — often combined with valerian for stronger effect.
  • Best for: Sleep difficulties, Anxiety and restlessness, Menopausal hot flashes
  • Active ingredients: 2-Methyl-3-buten-2-ol, Humulone, Lupulone, Xanthohumol, 8-Prenylnaringenin (8-PN), Isovaleric acid
  • Forms: capsule, tablet, liquid extract, tincture, tea, sleep pillow (aromatherapy), combination formula
  • Time to effect: Sleep and calming effects often felt within 30–60 minutes of a single dose; consistent sleep improvements may build over 2–4 weeks.
  • Side effects: Generally very well tolerated at normal doses; drowsiness is the most common effect, making it best used in the evening.
  • Pregnancy & breastfeeding: Avoid unless your clinician advises otherwise.

Educational information, not medical advice — ask your doctor or midwife.

What is hops?

Hops is a flowering plant that is widely cultivated for its use in brewing beer. The dried flowers, also known as cones, are used to add flavor, aroma, and bitterness to beer. Hops contain compounds that have medicinal properties and have been used for centuries for their therapeutic benefits.

How does it work?

Hops contain compounds such as alpha-acids, beta-acids, and volatile oils, which have sedative, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. These compounds help to promote relaxation, improve sleep quality, and reduce anxiety.

What are the active ingredients that are important for its medicinal properties?

The active ingredients in hops include humulone and lupulone, which are alpha-acids, and xanthohumol, a flavonoid found in hops. These compounds have been shown to have sedative, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory effects.

What forms does it come in?

Hops are commonly available in the form of dried flowers, extract, tincture, oil, and capsule.

When was it first used for medicinal purposes?

The use of hops for medicinal purposes dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was used to treat a variety of health conditions, including digestive problems, skin infections, and insomnia.

If this is an emergency

Some reactions to Hops need urgent care. Call your local emergency number or go to an emergency department straight away — do not wait to see whether it passes.

Who should avoid Hops?

  • Do not drive or use machines after you take hops, because it can make you sleepy.
  • Do not take hops with sleeping pills, strong pain pills, or other drugs that slow the brain.
  • Avoid alcohol while you use hops, since both slow the brain and the effect adds up.
  • Avoid taking hops with other calming herbs, such as valerian or kava, unless your doctor agrees.
  • Do not take hops with estrogen pills, birth control pills, or hormone therapy without asking your doctor.
  • Avoid pairing hops with other herbs that act like estrogen, such as red clover or soy extract.
  • Do not take hops if you have a hormone-linked illness, like breast or womb cancer, unless your doctor says it is safe.
  • Do not take hops if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
  • Avoid hops if you are now depressed, and avoid long high-dose use if you have had depression.
  • Do not take hops if you react to hop plants, such as at work, or if you have had a rash from them.
  • Do not take more than the label dose, as higher amounts can make you dizzy.
  • Stop hops before planned surgery and tell your doctor, since it can add to the effect of sleep drugs used in surgery.

When should you see a doctor?

Get help right away if your lips, tongue, or throat swell. The same goes for trouble breathing or a rash that spreads fast. These can be signs of a severe allergy.

Call your doctor within a few days if you stay sleepy or dizzy in the daytime. Do the same if your mood drops, or if you get breast tenderness or changes in your monthly cycle. Check in after 4 to 8 weeks of steady use to see if you should keep going.

Evidence grades and traditional-use labels are explained in our methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.

Reviewed by the HealisticMD editorial team How we grade evidence →

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